Let Me Love You
by chloebeale
Summary: The film written from Chloe's perspective. Mostly canon, with a few tweaks here & there and an extended ending. Beca/Chloe.
1. Chapter 1

Senior year of college is supposed to be the best, right? At least that's what you remind yourself whilst thinking about how strange it feels coming back to campus after an excruciatingly long summer break. You spent most of the summer lying in the sun, as well as bulking up your iTunes library, something that you can be a little anal about sometimes. But now here you are, back at Barden like nothing's changed. Sure, your schedule is different and you have a new dorm room, but you're still rooming with your best friend and focusing on winning the a capella competition.

When you move your stuff into the dorm room, you sigh as you try to figure out how you're going to tell Aubrey the news. This is your last year to win the competition, and over the summer you found out that you have vocal nodes. How will she react? You know she'll freak out, get stressed and do that weird breathing thing she does when she's obsessing about something, and you can't bear to start off your last year on the wrong foot. You promise yourself you'll tell her, just not right now. And so you begin shoving your textbooks onto the vacant space at the top of your desk, wondering when Aubrey's going to arrive.

You don't have to wonder long, though, because soon she's stalking into the room with all her worldly possessions, looking as frazzled as always. You wonder if you've ever seen Aubrey really let her hair down and relax since freshman year. Maybe that's why you get along so well. You're both passionate about singing, but she's so frigid and hyper-focused, while you're warm and much calmer. You balance each other out.

After you're finished stacking your textbooks, you make your way over to your friend. She's on a long spiel about her father and you nod, trying to be comforting because you know she has serious emotional issues regarding her dad. You and your parents are on pretty good terms and so it's not quite something you understand, but she's your best friend and you just want her to take a breath and maybe have a semblance of a smile on her face.

"Hey, Bree. It's great to see you," you begin as you hold out your arms for her.

She offers a tight lipped mouth twitch that almost registers as a smile and steps forward. Your arms close around her and you hug her too tightly, like you always do. But she doesn't complain. Instead she leans into you and sighs, echoing your sentiments.

"How was your summer?" You ask as you finally pull away, pushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear.

"Forgettable. That's not important though, we really need to focus this year, Chloe."

_Oh great, she's starting already. She's been on campus for, what, five minutes and she's already worrying about the Bellas?_

"After what happened last year, it's imperative we make it back to Lincoln Center. There's tons of freshman just milling around everywhere, undiscovered talent. We might find the next Lea Michele. That's why we need to work on our sales pitch. Oh and I made some flyers, we can pass them out at the student activities fair this afternoon."

She pulls a flyer out of her bag and thrusts it forward at you. You take it slowly and your eyes scan the words on the page. Nothing too exciting but you give her an encouraging smile anyway. It's not your place to make suggestions.

"Yeah, of course…maybe we could at least put some of our stuff away and grab something to eat before we get started with all that? If that's okay, I mean."

You don't know why you're so afraid of her. It's not like she's as mean as the bitches that ran the Bellas last year. Aubrey's your best friend, she has been since the two of you met freshman year at auditions. But something about her just brings out the meek side of you. You find yourself agreeing with everything she says and apologizing all the time, which is weird, but whatever. It doesn't really matter.

Aubrey shrugs. "Well obviously. So I had a few vocal lessons this summer. I think I was pretty productive over break." She tells you as she begins to unpack some of her clothes.

The first thing she pulls out is her Bellas outfit and you cringe as it comes into view. You actually hate the design, it looks like a tacky flight attendant outfit, but you never had any say in it when it was designed a few years ago.

"What about you? Did you keep up on your singing? Make any big improvements in your voice?"

You chuckle awkwardly because you didn't have voice lessons this summer or spend the entire time working on your notes. You might have done a few karaoke songs here and there, but that was about it. Finding out about your nodes really put a damper on your summer spirit. Upon hearing you, Aubrey makes a disapproving clicking sound with her tongue.

"Sorry." You murmur, crossing your arms and looking away from her penetrating gaze.

"Whatever." She responds, rolling her eyes as she shoves her clothes into the dresser, slamming the doors. "Not everyone has the dedication I do. I get it."

You want to laugh at her ludicrous statement, because it IS ludicrous, she's giving herself way too much credit and you not enough, but you don't dare make a sound. Instead you focus on putting your own things away and hope she doesn't yell at you for being a slacker.

As both of you finish your preliminary round of unpacking, you feel your stomach growl and you suggest the cafe for lunch. The lines are generally much shorter there and that way you'll have time to talk about the activities fair before it actually starts. Aubrey agrees and the two of you make your way to the cafe on the other side of campus. You enter a discussion about the current reigning pop queens, both weighing in on your opinions about each.

You prefer Gaga while Aubrey insists that everything she's done, Madonna's already done first. You bite your tongue and agree to disagree, instead turning the conversation around to Adele as you approach the cafe. Discussing Adele's pregnancy and how it will affect the content of her next record, you allow Aubrey in front of you in line. She orders a salad and you opt for soup and a sandwich, reasoning that maybe soup will help your nodes somehow. When you get your food, Aubrey leads you to a table and you both sit down and begin to eat.

She recounts the disaster from last semester—resulting in her projectile vomiting in front of everyone—and assures you that this year will be different, better. As you swallow a spoonful of soup, you suggest that maybe you choose a different song this year. You're honestly pretty sick of singing Ace of Base. But she disagrees, arguing that the song is a classic and pointing out how you were unable to finish last year's set.

"That just gives us an advantage—they haven't seen our entire set yet. Of course we'll have to teach the songs and the choreography to a whole new group of girls, but it can be done with you and me as leaders." She actually smiles and takes a sip of her bottled water. "I anticipate an aca-mazing year!"

You admire her positivity despite all that went wrong last year. It's not that you're not positive, actually you're too positive and often irritate people because of it, but you don't get how she can feel so secure about the same tired routine you'd been doing forever. You offer her a smile that feels more like a grimace and hurriedly finish your lunch. Together you run off more copies of your fliers and discuss the game plan as you make your way to the activities' fair. It's already beginning and so you have to scramble to set up your booth, because god forbid all the good talent gets taken by the second rate coed a capella groups.

Ten minutes into trying to find recruits, Aubrey's already flipping out. She sounds so exasperated and she's shaking so much it's actually making YOU nervous. She has such high standards for the group that she wants all their members to be both hot and good singers. But you think that's ridiculous. Who cares about "bikini ready bodies" in a singing competition? You mention that maybe you should try to seek good singers and not worry about looks, but Aubrey gives you a withering glare. However, it doesn't take too long for her to come to your way of thinking, because none of the attractive girls seem to be listening to either of you despite how hard you're trying.

When the largely sized woman approaches the booth, you can hear Aubrey scoffing. But this girl says she can sing and match pitch, so the two of you test her out. She's a little odd, what with the whole mermaid dancing bit and the Australian accent, but her voice is solid for the most part. So you tell her about auditions and hand out a flyer. The woman, who has dubbed herself Fat Amy ("so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back") thanks you and heads off in the opposite direction. That's when you see her.

Her blue eyes are trained forward, lined with thick black eyeliner, her ears covered in piercings, her nails painted black. Something about the way she walks catches your attention and so you call her over. As you try to convince her to come to auditions, you can feel her gaze on you along with her obvious judgment. She seems to think the whole idea of a capella competition is stupid and of course Aubrey immediately hates her, based on her snide remarks and her appearance, which she's already deemed to be "too alternative."

But as the girl turns you down and admits that she doesn't sing, you see the tattoo on her wrist. It's of a grasshopper. Upon seeing it, you feel a strange sensation in your body. It's like a sign (oh, great, now you have that song stuck in your head and it's never going to leave.)

"I have a bug tattoo!" And you show her your tattoo, which is of a ladybug.

She seems to think you're strange for pointing it out, but you're excited at this connection between you and the girl you've already decided is the cutest girl you've ever seen before. You don't really understand why, it's almost like your heart is fluttering, from the shared tattoo to the way she stands up to Aubrey and shoots her comments right back, you are in awe. Your grin only widens as you continue to talk with her and you find that you're disappointed when she shuffles away.

Part of you wants to follow her and talk to her about something, anything at all. Being away from Aubrey for a minute would probably ease your headache at least, and you could do with a new friend, but you have to stay and man the booth. You pass out tons of fliers and hope for the best; although hardly any of the girls you speak to match the physical requirements Aubrey is so keen on keeping. She doesn't have much choice though, because as you see it, the girls who have the voices this year may not all be tiny beach babes, and you don't think that's such a bad thing anyway.

The rest of the day passes like a blur and as do the first few weeks of the semester. Classes are going well and fliers are continuing to be passed out, as audition time approaches. It's the night before auditions when you see her again—the alternative girl from activities fair day. Well, to be fair, you hear her before you see her.

To take your mind off of how intense Aubrey's been lately, you find yourself a guy. His name is Henry and he isn't your boyfriend, but you spend a lot of time making out and having sex with him just for something to do to relieve the tension. He's nice enough and pretty cute, and during the night in question, you and he are having a post-sex shower session. You're rinsing your hair when you hear her voice, angelic yet with a low gravelly quality. It's a girl a few showers down, singing the words to one of your very favorite songs. Without any reservation you hunt her down and push your way through the shower curtain.

"Aha!" It's like you've discovered a new atomic element upon having heard her amazing voice. It's just what the Bellas need.

"OH MY GOD!" She screams, obviously startled by your sudden appearance as she grabs the shower curtain and tries to cover up her body.

"You CAN sing." You grin at her despite her reaction to your arrival in her shower.

You're just so thrilled to have found that the girl you remember from that day actually can sing, and very well, in fact. You knew it. You had a feeling in the pit of your stomach and now you know this was it. You were sensing her raw talent. She shuts off the shower, still looking at you like you're crazy. You don't mind, you're used to people looking at you that way.

"You were singing Titanium, right?"

She raises her eyebrows and looks surprised that you know what she was singing.

"You know David Guetta?"

"What, have I been living under a rock? Of course I do." She seems like the type of girl who doesn't listen to mainstream radio, though, so maybe she doesn't know that Titanium has reached serious top 40 status. "That's my jam. My…lady jam. I love how that song just builds, you know?" She gives you a look that indicates your statement did seem oddly sexual and you laugh.

"Not like that. Sing with me." You prompt and she just stares. "Not for that purpose."

It sounds like you're about to get off to her voice, which is so not your point. But she doesn't say anything and so you fill the void with more words, hoping eventually she'll give in and sing.

"You HAVE to join the Bellas." You urge her as your grin widens. Your eyes trail over her body, which she's doing a pretty bad job at hiding with the shower curtain.

"I..can't concentrate on anything until you cover your junk!" She yells back, and you hold back a laugh. She's staring at your body and it makes you proud somehow.

"I'm pretty confident. About all…this." You gesture to your body.

It doesn't bother you being naked in front of her. Not at all. And her nudity doesn't really bother you either. Far from it, actually. She has a very nice body and under different circumstances you might comment on it, but since she already thinks you're a weirdo, you don't wanna push it.

"As you should be." Her compliment catches you off guard but you enjoy it all the same.

Instead of covering yourself like she's requested, you tell her that you're not leaving until she sings. She gazes at you for a moment, trying to gauge whether you're serious or not. Her eyes widen when she realizes that you are. Hesitantly she begins to sing.

_Bulletproof…_ her voice echoes in the shower stall.

You join in, your voices mingling to perfection.

_Nothing to lose, fire away, fire away_

You can't believe how amazing your voices sound together. Her voice paired with yours sounds like something out of a Disney movie.

_Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away_

God, she's even better at singing that Aubrey is, not that you would ever dare speak that in Aubrey's presence. Her eyes burn into yours as you both continue to sing. Your heart is racing.

_You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium_

You can't help but smile when you both finish and she returns it, causing a strange fluttering sensation in your stomach that you don't have much time to think about, because Henry has wandered over and sticks his head into the shower you and her are occupying.

"You have a lovely voice." He tells her and you look over at him; nodding in agreement even though you're pretty irritated he interrupted what you thought had been a moment between you and her.

Awkwardly she thanks him. As he walks off, you manage to say goodbye. You realize you still haven't caught her name and you spin around to ask it. She grips the towel close to her body even though you've just spent almost ten minutes in full view of her nude body.

"Sorry about all this, I know I probably seem weird. You're just a really great singer." You tell her cautiously, offering her a smile. "Anyway, I never caught your name. I told you mine was Chloe, right? When we met at the activities fair and you told me you couldn't sing?"

She chuckles, narrowing her blue eyes, which are darker than your own.

"Thanks. Um, I'm Beca. I'm really not a singer, but—"

"Yes, you are." You giggle lightly.

She's proven she's a singer, you and she just performed an amazing duet, and you're not going to let her argue otherwise.

"Just consider it, okay? It's just an audition, it's not a contract."

With a flounce of your hair, you leave her alone to finish showering. You keep replaying the scene in your head as you make your way back to your dorm room, telling Henry goodbye. You don't want his company right now because you're way too excited about auditions and what has just happened. You hope you did enough convincing to make Beca show up.

When you get back to your room, you decide it's best not to tell Aubrey about your encounter in the shower. It would only bore her and she's already got it out for Beca for some stupid reason. You figure the outstanding audition she's bound to give will convince her.


	2. Chapter 2

Auditions themselves are pretty excruciating. You see a lot of familiar faces, including Fat Amy the mermaid dancer (who thankfully left that bit out of her routine) and entirely too many bad singers. As the auditions round to a close, you find yourself feeling disappointed Beca didn't show up. You were almost certain she would. But then you see her on the side of the stage and you announce that you have one last audition. As she approaches the stage, she admits that she didn't prepare the audition song. You tell her to sing anything she wants and Aubrey kicks you under the table but you don't even care.

You watch, transfixed, as Beca leans down and takes the pen cup off your table. She pours the pens out and then starts doing the strangest, most charming thing. She begins making a beat with the cup in this really cool motion where she spins the cup and slams it down and then, after what seems like forever, she starts to sing.

_I got my ticket for the long way 'round  
Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way_

You don't know the song but that doesn't even matter because she sounds like a goddess. You're smiling as wide as you possibly can and you raise your eyebrows and exchange a look with Aubrey before training your eyes back on the girl auditioning. She's undeniably talented and you can feel yourself getting goosebumps from her voice.

_And I sure would like some sweet company  
And I'm leaving tomorrow, wha-do-ya say?_

It feels like you and her are the only people in the room and she's staring right at you. You shiver and cross your arms, trying not to let her affect you. It's like she's asking you to join her, with the lyrics to the song and the playful way she's looking at you…she's alluring in the most unexpected way. You're speechless as you listen to her. But then as quickly as she started, she's done.

Everyone seems amazed by what she's just shown them. Even Aubrey looks visibly impressed. As you chat with her about the auditions you've just seen, you notice Beca begin to head out of the auditorium. You really want to say hello and so you excuse yourself, following her out the door. She regards you with an amused grin.

"What a cool audition. Where'd you learn that whole cups routine?" You ask her curiously, honestly having never seen something like that before.

She shrugs like it's no big deal. "A video I watched online."

She's too cool. You're just a big spaz. She plays it off like she didn't just perform like a professional singer and here you are just trying not to fangirl on her.

"Oh." You manage, practically feeling the awkward in the air. "Well. We'll…let you know." You offer dumbly. Beca nods and gives you a half wave before making her way down the hall.

You go to the bathroom to pee, to give your excusing yourself purpose. You wash your hands and then rejoin Aubrey, who goes over her notes on the girls who auditioned. She makes fun of the boys; they don't matter to her anyway since the Bellas are an all-girls team. Together the two of you return to your dorm and make decisions about who you're choosing.

After making your choices (some of which are pretty sketchy honestly, but there's slim pickings), you both retire to bed. It's important to get rest because the next night is initiation night, which is even crazier than auditions. It's a lot like being sworn into a sorority, except you think sororities are totally lame. You and Aubrey will gather up the chosen girls, cover their heads and bring them to a location to initiate them into the Bellas. You'll have them recite the pledge, give them their scarves and take measurements for uniforms, and finally drink the blood of the sisters (courtesy of Boone's Farm) before partying all night long. All the chosen from each a capella group gets together before competition starts, because everyone deserves to take a load off before things get serious.

Even though you're ridiculously excited, you close your eyes and attempt to sleep. You know yourself well enough to know that what you're actually excited for is seeing Beca again. All the initiation stuff is secondary. You crave more time with her, for some strange reason. It's like you're infatuated. You fall asleep while replaying all your memories with her thus far, knowing that it probably makes you some weird freak to do so, but not caring if it does. It's a talent crush, that's all, you tell yourself as your eyes begin to droop.

The next day involves a lot of preparation. Luckily it's the weekend. You and Aubrey get everything ready and kidnap the new recruits, shoving red sacks over their heads despite their protests. It's tradition. Leading everyone to a dark room on campus, you light the candles for ambience and Aubrey begins her long explanation of why they're here. Then it's time for the unveiling and you both acknowledge the new members, speaking their names and their place in the group. You try to keep your eyes off of Beca as Aubrey directs them through the entire repeat-after-me bit. You wonder if the rule about the Treblemakers will present itself to be as big a problem this year as it has been in the past.

Then the initiation itself is over and it's time for the fun stuff. All the groups meet at the outdoor auditorium, which is essentially a downward sloping group of concrete seating. There's music and booze and everyone's bound to have a great time. You smile as you approach Beca, having already had quite a bit to drink against the very little you had to eat today. Your hands grasp her arms and you step closely toward her. She doesn't look taken aback despite the fact that you're inches away from her face.

"I think we're gonna be fast friends." You whisper, your eyes drifting to her lips that are so very close to your own.

_Why are you thinking about closing the gap between you, about kissing her?_ It has to be the alcohol swirling in your system.

"Well, you already saw me naked, so." Beca winks and you nod because it's true, wondering if she's flirting with you or just being weird and drunk like you are.

You have to tear yourself away before you do something stupid. You hear her call after you — "make good choices" — which is just such an odd thing to say. You grin back at her before joining Aubrey, who's chatting with Fat Amy. As you step toward them you notice that they're discussing which of the Bellas is a lesbian. You narrow your eyes and say nothing, hoping you haven't been too obvious about your weird girl crush. But Fat Amy says she's betting on Cynthia Rose and you actually let out a sigh of relief.

It takes a second for both of them to register your presence and it looks like you've interrupted a moment, causing you to laugh to yourself because you can't believe Aubrey of all people is actually making friends with someone like Amy. It's a nice change though. That and you're starting to wonder about your own sexuality. Boys are boys and whatever, you don't really care one way or another, but Beca's different._ Are you really starting to actually like her, or is this still just a talent crush thing?_ You're starting to lose track.

Even though you inject yourself into Fat Amy and Aubrey's conversation, you make minimal comments. Your eyes are too busy finding Beca, who's being chatted up by one of the Trebles. It seems that Aubrey has followed your gaze and she glares, assuming the worst.

"And thus the travesty begins!" She announces, gesturing rudely.

She takes a long drink from her cup and you are about to say something, feeling a serious pang of jealousy in your chest as you observe Beca and the guy. But the music gets louder and everyone starts cheering, dancing and singing along. You try to forget how you just felt and focus on the music. It's all about the music.

You're not really sure what drives you to it, but you manage to drink entirely too much that night. You aren't usually the partying type either. Something about seeing Beca and Jesse together (you've found out after a little snooping what his name is, and that he and Beca are apparently working together at the radio station) sets you off. You spend most of the night rambling drunkenly to anyone who will listen and making out with some guy you meet on the walk back to your dorm.

The next morning you have a legendary hangover, causing you to sleep much later than usual. When you finally arise from bed with your hair a mangled mess, Aubrey gives you an audacious look like she can't believe you got drunk last night. She's not much for drinking herself, something tells you that it's the mere thought of letting go that prevents her from indulging in the substance, and now she's judging you for partaking yourself. But you shrug her off as you swallow some aspirin, humming Titanium under your breath as you grab your things to take to the bathroom. Your mouth tastes disgusting. Upon realizing the song you're singing and who it reminds you of, you immediately silence yourself.

"I'm gonna go shower and brush my teeth." You announce to Aubrey.

"You do that." She responds in a huff, giving an extra hard turn to the page in the book she's reading.

There's a tearing sound as she does so and you stifle a laugh as you pull your towel over your shoulder and make your way out of the room.

In your pajamas you trudge down the hall and to the bathroom, running your tongue over your teeth. After getting undressed, you begin your selection of a vacant shower, before hearing someone clear her throat behind you. Out of habit you spin around to see who it is, being greeted by the sight of Beca at the sink. She dries her hands and walks toward you.

"Fancy meeting you here. Are you stalking me?" She jokes.

You laugh half-heartedly. Your head is pounding. "You know it. I can't get enough of you. Thought we'd do another naked duet. How about it?" You're already halfway there after all; you've disrobed fully in front of her for the second time.

"Mmmm." She considers and looks you over. "Gonna have to pass. But you sure look like you had your share of fun last night. Your hair has taken on an interesting shape." She grins teasingly at you and you shrug.

"It's important to let go sometimes." You respond earnestly. "Looks like you were having a whole lot more fun than I was, boy toy and all. Aubrey wasn't too pleased with you, she saw your canoodling."

"We weren't canoodling! Jesse and I are friends. JUST friends. Can't a girl be friends with a guy without everyone assuming they're fucking?" The foul language causes you to stop for a moment and you lock eyes with her, immediately feeling guilty for even mentioning it.

"Sorry. I-I know you're not—I just…ugh. I don't wanna fight, okay?" You sigh, leaning against the wall. "My head feels like someone's running a jackhammer on it and my stomach's all queasy and I look like I've just crawled out of a dirty swamp. I just don't have the energy for this right now."

Now it's Beca who looks apologetic. "No, it's cool. I'm not mad; I guess I was just being defensive or whatever. Force of habit." She shrugs, grabbing her bag that hangs on the hook nearby. "Just tell Aubrey nothing's going on between Jesse and me."

"You swear?" You don't know why you ask this, but it comes from your mouth before you can stop yourself.

"I swear." The words calm you immediately and you give Beca a diplomatic nod, pleased with her response.

She offers you a grin and tells you that she'll see you later, and you watch her walk away before you get into the shower to deskankify yourself so you'll look like some semblance of human for the initial Bellas meeting later.

The meeting is meant to set up the practice schedule as well as other important duties such as Aubrey's boot camp, which includes cardio and vocal exercises. But it takes a turn for the worse because Aubrey's already kicked out a Bella, and it's been literally a day since the new recruits were sworn in. Apparently the girl had been seen making out with one of the Trebletones last night and went back to his room. As clearly stated in their pledge, this was a violation of the rule and she was immediately thrown out.

After this situation is explained, another member cracks, revealing that she had hooked up with one of guys last night as well. Aubrey tells her to leave and turn in her scarf, and the poor shell of a girl drags the metal chair she'd been sitting in across the concrete floor as she leaves the group. The horrible screeching the legs of the chair make when they make contact with the floor is excruciating, making the whole experience even more awkward. Then she drops the chair by the ledge and runs out crying. It's the first real meeting and it is already intense. But things were always intense with the Bellas, and will only be more so with Aubrey running things.

"Was that_ really_ necessary?" Beca calls out after the girl's tantrum, obviously appalled by the entire display.

Aubrey raises her eyebrows in disbelief that the new girl would dare question her. You think Beca's right, but you stand your ground and listen to Aubrey's explanation, something you heard ages ago and have abided by.

"You can fool around with whoever you want to." She continues. "Just not a Treble." Cynthia Rose isn't listening, as this conversation isn't relevant to her at all. She stares blatantly at Stacie's chest.

"That's not gonna be easy. He's a hunter." Stacie admits after Aubrey continues to belabor the point. She gestures to her lady area and causes a titter from the girls seated around her.

"You call it a dude?" Beca asks with bewilderment.

Ignoring the comments, Aubrey tightens her argument, locking eyes with Stacie and giving her a serious face. She looks pretty menacing, you have to admit.

"Stacie, the Trebles don't respect us, and if we let them penetrate us, we are giving them our power." She clarifies this as if she's speaking with a five year old, the usage of the word penetrate notwithstanding.

"Not a good enough reason to use the word 'penetrate.'" Fat Amy mutters.

You don't know if she means to be, but she's honestly the funniest person you've ever met and it's difficult not to crack up around her sometimes. You make a note to tell her that at some point.

Aubrey runs through the schedule and everyone takes furious notes on when and where practices will be. When she's finally done talking, everyone seems relieved. It is then she has all of you begin your practicing, because you have your first gig very soon.


	3. Chapter 3

The gig totally bombs. The girls don't have the choreography down at all and the singing is pretty off kilter, especially your own. You are holding back because of the nodes, and because of that, you don't sound as good as you typically do. As a perfectionist, this really bothers you. The song is cut off when you are all escorted away, cuing the laughter and rude comments from the frat guys. Dejectedly the group leaves and Aubrey, as if on cue, begins to berate you all.

"Remember how bad this feels…" she tells you, trying to shame you into practice overdrive since apparently none of you are ready for the upcoming competitions. You haven't been listening to her words, preoccupied with your thoughts but you come back to reality when you hear your name on Aubrey's lips. "And Chloe, you didn't sound Aguilerian at ALL." She's referring to Christina Aguilera, whom all of you adore due to her powerhouse voice.

_It's now or never,_ you tell yourself. You have to give an explanation for your poor performance. And so you disclose the full story about your diagnosis for vocal nodes. Everyone gasps and Aubrey holds your hands tightly in hers.

Beca seems confused and she poses the question about what nodes are, and so Aubrey jumps in and describes them. This bothers you, because you're the one who has them and you feel that you deserve to explain them. Beca does seem to understand how serious this is, though, and you're thankful for that.

"That sounds painful. Why would you keep on singing if it hurts you?"

It's a valid point, but not singing isn't an option for you. Stacie likens your experience to when her doctor told her not to have sex for a few weeks and she did it anyway. Although it's a poor comparison, you're amused by the anecdote. Silence settles over the group until Fat Amy makes a comment of her own.

"At least it's not herpes." A beat passes and Aubrey glances at her, shock registering on her face. "Or do you have that, as well?"

Obviously you don't have herpes and the comment seems pretty off the wall, but it doesn't bother you much. You like that about Amy. She says whatever it is she's thinking, regardless of how absolutely ridiculous her observations can be sometimes. Fat Amy is the comic relief of the group and you're honestly thankful, because her odd sense of humor has already proven to be helpful in relieving stress and tension amongst the group. She really is a valuable part of the Bellas, even if her gestures can get a little rudimentary sometimes.

After that humiliating experience, Aubrey ups your practice schedule. It seems like every moment not spent in class is spent practicing and bettering your routine. You're so sick of the stupid, overused routine that you find yourself not putting as much effort in as you should and Aubrey notices. After one particularly grueling practice, you and Beca take a walk together on campus. It's already dark and there's a chill in the air as the two of you walk aimlessly around just to get a break.

"Crickets are pretty cool, huh?" Beca asks you as you both hear the sounds of crickets chirping their songs in the background.

You grin. "Yeah, sometimes."

"As long as they aren't living in your house, right?" She laughs and stops at the cafe, gesturing toward the still lit building. "How about a coffee?"

"Sure. If you're treating me." You tease and she agrees, leading you inside to the heated restaurant.

The two of you order coffees and huddle together at a corner table, your fingers wrapping around the Styrofoam cup in an attempt to get feeling back in them again. It seems kind of like a date; actually, since Beca insisted on paying for your coffee and it's just the two of you. You realize that this is the first time the two of you have actually seen each other alone outside of a shower and the thought makes you smirk.

"What are you looking so smug about?" She wonders, noticing your random smile.

"Smug? No, just amused. Do you realize this is the first time that we've hung out? I mean besides running into you in the bathroom." You remark and she begins grinning back at you.

She takes a sip of her coffee. "You look different with clothes on."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" You challenge her, thinking she's making a comment about how you look better naked. You're staring at her in wait for an answer and she bursts out laughing.

"Just saying. That's all. You're pretty either way, so."

"You think I'm pretty?" You're beaming at her compliment and she seems to get a bit flustered, murmuring something like 'well, duh,' which only makes you smile more. "For the record, so are you. I mean, you're so skinny, skinnier than me, and your eyes are so—and you do your makeup really well and…okay, I'm rambling. Sorry."

Beca doesn't mind. "No, no, by all means, continue."

She likes hearing about herself, huh? You continue feeding her compliment after compliment and she gives you a few of your own as your coffees grow steadily emptier. She asks if you want another and you decline, reminding her that you both have practice fairly early tomorrow and you don't want the caffeine to keep you up. She hesitates and seems somehow bummed that you're putting an end to the evening. Just seeing that look on her face makes you want to spend every waking moment by her side, just so you'll never have to see her look so sad and pathetic all over again. She mentions that maybe she'll invite Jesse to come over when she gets back and you cross your arms, trying not to seem bothered by the whole idea of them hanging out together. She knows it bugs you, but she probably thinks it's because of the whole dating/sex with Trebles rule. She doesn't know it's because you're jealous.

Reluctantly, you part ways to your own rooms once you get to your dorm building. You tell her goodbye and sigh to yourself, slipping your ear buds into your ears and navigating to the Beca playlist on your iPod. She's provided you with all her mixes, which are reaching frighteningly high play counts already.

"Guess what tomorrow is?" Aubrey greets you with this question as soon as you step inside the dorm room. You shrug and close the door.

"Uh, Friday?"

Aubrey rolls her eyes and groans at you. "The Riff Off's tomorrow! And it gives us a chance to show how much better we've gotten since that awful first gig…we can beat the pants off the Trebles!" She exclaims with so much excitement that you actually feel a bit nauseous.

All you can think about is what Beca's up to right now and whether she's spending the rest of the evening in Jesse's arms. It's enough to give you a headache. You muster up a smile for Aubrey, though, because you know she expects it from you.

"Right! We're gonna be awesome!" You add with an unfortunate lack of enthusiasm.

"Aca-awesome." She corrects you, jabbing you in the side with her finger. "So where were you, anyway? Rolling around in the sack with Henry again?" Aubrey wonders.

"Oh, um…" You stammer, nervous that she won't approve of your new found friendship with Beca.

But as you feel her eyes on yours, you decide screw it and you tell her about how you and Beca hung out after practice. She huffs jealously at you.

"Are you mad? I mean, I'm allowed to have other friends, right?"

Aubrey gives you a sickly sweet smile. "Of course you are." She brings her lips to your cheek, her arm grabbing you roughly around the waist. "Be friends with whomever you want, sweetie. Just stay on your toes, 'cause with a girl like her, well, you never know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The comment strikes a chord with you and you move her arm away, frustrated with her attitude about Beca. She hasn't liked her since the first day they met and she merely tolerates her due to the fact that she does have a great voice. Even Aubrey can't deny that much.

"I just mean you shouldn't trust her is all. She's got an attitude problem, for starters, and she's heading toward the wrong path. You know as well as I do that she and Jesse have the hots for each other, and there's only so long before they—"

"Stop." You grit your teeth and push her away from you. "You're talking about something you know nothing about. You don't know her like I do, okay? She's actually really cool, and nothing's happened between her and Jesse. She would have told me."

"That's what you think." Aubrey laughs.

You know she thinks you're naive, but she's wrong. You think the best of people, sure, but only until they prove you wrong.

"Honey, don't think I don't notice the huge toner you've got going on for her. It's fine, perfectly fine, whatever. Just don't let it cloud your judgment. She's a good addition to the Bellas, so long as she stays in line. But if she becomes a problem I won't hesitate to throw her out. Keep your eyes on the prize, Chloe. By the way? The prize is winning nationals, not burying your head in Beca's snatch. In case you were confused."

You can't believe the words you just heard coming out of her mouth. You know that Aubrey has a tendency to be a bit abrasive but even this is too much coming from her. Clenching your jaw, you turn from her, trying to settle your temper before you say something stupid. You can practically feel her eyes burning a hole in the back of your head.

"What…do you think…" You spin back around. "gives you the right to comment on my feelings for Beca? Regardless of whether you are correct or not. Just because you're my best friend doesn't mean I have to take your crap. I'm not going to let you treat me like dirt anymore. I've really had it with you lately. You've been so different this year. Worse."

Aubrey bites her lip, hard. You can see her eyes start to fill with tears. But you won't fall for the waterworks. She always does this to you and you always forgive her. The cycle needs to stop.

"I'm sorry." She finally says, her voice breaking. "I know. I've been mean to you and I'm sorry. I'm just trying to do what's best for you, is all. And I don't think she's what's best for you."

"Luckily it's not up to you to decide that." You respond, moving closer to her. A tear is falling down her cheek and you wipe it away out of habit. "Don't cry, alright? Fight is over."

With a sudden grin, she wipes her eyes and sniffles. "Okay. Good." She perks up and leans in close to you. "If this whole Beca thing is just you wanting to experiment, you know, I volunteer my services. I've never been with a girl before, but if I did decide to try it, I'd want it to be you. And I'll have you know, I've got an amazing lung capacity." She raises her eyebrows suggestively and you immediately burst into laughter.

"I'll keep that in mind."


	4. Chapter 4

By the time for the Riff Off, you've pretty much forgiven Aubrey. She's been sucking up to you ever since and maybe even flirting with you a little, too, which is strange. It's been ages since the last Riff Off and you find yourself getting pumped up for it. The entire idea behind it is riffing off on each other, keeping the songs going until someone breaks the rule and gets cut. The Trebletones have won it every single time for the past several years, but you and the rest of the team vow that it'll be different this go around.

The four a capella groups are situated in the empty pool, a list of the different categories projected on the concrete wall. You wait for the category to be chosen—and it's a category perfect for your team: 80s pop females. As you discuss what song to do, the Trebles jump in and start it all off. You have to admit it's pretty amusing hearing Bumper sing the words to "Mickey," but even so, you're frustrated you didn't get the first song in. The songs are tossed around until one team is cut, leaving only three of you left.

The next category is songs about sex. You're a bit surprised when Cynthia Rose jumps right in, singing your favorite Rihanna song, S&M, which no one can deny was written about sex. The group jumps in and you're all sounding badass until the guys interrupt with a rendition of (what else) Let's Talk About Sex. Just when you're worried no one from your group will step up, Stacie begins singing I'll Make Love To You. You stop to appreciate how appropriate this song is for her before you run to her aid and back her up with everyone else. The riff continues when Jesse brings in Feels Like the First Time. He and Beca are exchanging some serious flirtatious looks and you can feel your chest tightening at the sight, but she's still feeling fiercely competitive despite any flirting that might be going on.

She pushes forward, busting out the rap from No Diggity like it's no big deal. You're all stunned for a long time and don't even recognize the song until she begins the chorus, and finally you all back her up. It seems to be going great and you think you've won until you finish the song and are told that you're disqualified. Beca's rap started with "it's" and you were supposed to match "it." That rule has never come into play before and Aubrey argues against it, but there's no point. The Trebles have won. Again.

The next day, you all discuss the number for sectionals. Aubrey tries to decide who deserves the solo and Fat Amy butts in, heavily hinting that she's interested in the solo. You think that it should go to Beca, but Aubrey doesn't. Fat Amy really wants it and Beca doesn't fight for it at all, so it goes to her. You wonder briefly if she can even pull it off.

For what it's worth, she does manage to pull off the solo. She goes way off from your choreography, though, ripping off her jacket before she opens her shirt and exposes her undershirt. Aubrey doesn't flip out as much about it as she normally would, scolding Amy mildly and reminding her to keep to the routine. You can't believe she's being so easy on her, because if, say, Beca, had strayed from the routine, she wouldn't hear the end of it.

When you get the scores from sectionals, Aubrey realizes how close the Sockapellas were to defeating you. That lights a serious fire under her butt and she kicks things into high gear. Beca tries to make suggestions but they fall on deaf ears, the routine not being changed at all. Even you think it's a serious risk to do the exact same routine at regionals, knowing that the judges will be sick of it and that it isn't good enough to beat the Trebles. You try your best to get Aubrey to listen to reason but she's hearing none of it. Practices continue with the same routine and you guys have it down perfect by the time regionals roll around.

The best part of regionals is the bus ride. Riding on a bus with nine other girls you adore is buckets of fun, especially when your iPod sing along becomes a full on karaoke session. There's a short interlude where Amy freaks out over having Mexican food thrown from the Treble bus as she's pumping gas, but she gets over it. Mostly. Things seem to be perfect as you and the girls sing Party in the U.S.A., even getting Beca to jump in at the chorus. You make a mental note to tease her later for knowing the lyrics to a Miley Cyrus song, but any thoughts of teasing or of anything rational go out the window when the bus breaks down. Fat Amy admits that the drive by distracted her from filling up the tank, and now you are stuck in the middle of nowhere without a ride. But then Amy fesses up to having Bumper's number, offering to call him to beg for a ride.

"Why do you have Bumper's number?"

She makes a show of not knowing, and it's obvious that the two of them are messing around. You and Beca exchange disgusted glances and she makes an obscene gesture by circling the index and thumb of her left hand, while moving her other index finger through it. This sexual reference actually causes you to have a ridiculous giggle fit, resulting in a chastising glare from Aubrey. When Fat Amy gets off the phone, she announces that Bumper actually agreed to pick you up and so it doesn't take long before you're on their bus, which is much nicer than your rental bus. Secretly you're thankful for the better vehicle, not that you'd say it aloud for fear that Aubrey would actually produce tangible daggers from her eyes if she heard you actually thanking the Trebles or saying anything remotely nice.

She sulks and leans against the window as the others bond. Lilly sits up front near the driver, the Indian guy with the glasses whose name you haven't bothered to learn, and they seem to be talking and beat boxing together. Fat Amy and Bumper are casually not-flirting, Cynthia Rose is dealing cards to a group in the back and Stacie is chatting up another one of the guys. From your seat next to Aubrey, you glance over at Beca. Jesse's dropped into the seat beside her and they're laughing about something. You sigh and Aubrey turns her head to look at you. She gestures her hands.

"Just go. Get her, or whatever." She mumbles and you grin, hopping up and going over to the two of them.

They stop talking as soon as you arrive and Beca suggests that maybe Jesse go play poker with the rest of the guys. Taking the hint, he does so, but not before giving her the most awful puppy dog stare you've ever seen in your life.

"So, are you excited about regionals?" You ask her, not knowing what else to talk about.

She makes a face. "Not..particularly." Dropping her voice, she explains why. "You know we're not gonna win with this routine all the way through each round. We'll be lucky if we make second tonight, but somehow I don't see it happening. Can't you get Aubrey to—"

"You can't get Aubrey to do anything. Believe me. I've tried." You admit, settling into your seat and studying Beca with no reserve. She looks cute in the outfit you're all wearing. "So, uh, what's up with Jesse?" You pretend to be interested for a moment when really the thought of them together makes you want to puke.

"Nothing's up. What you see is what you get, Chloe. We hang out here and there but nothing's happened. We haven't even kissed." She says it like a promise and your heart is fluttering as you notice that your legs are touching.

"O-oh." It takes entirely too much effort to get that syllable to leave your mouth.

Beca's hand drops onto yours and you swallow and meet her eyes, your stomach doing flips from the way she looks at you.

"Why so interested?" She grins.

"I'm not!" You say it too quickly and she gives you a look of disbelief. "I mean you're my friend and I care about you and I'm interested in your life."

"Good answer." She pats your hand and then withdraws her own, sighing. "How long until we get to Lincoln Center? It feels like twenty years away."

"Almost there!" Someone yells and she relaxes, her head moving so she can glance out the window. You take the moment to study her, sighing inwardly at how ridiculous she can make you feel. You catch Jesse giving you an odd look and you shoot him a glare so that he looks away.

Soon you arrive at Lincoln Center and you see another amazing group, possibly even better than the Trebles. How in the hell are you going to place with both of those groups having a serious advantage over you? You try to maintain positive as you take the stage, but you're nervous. You know Aubrey is, too, she's shaking. But she sings without vomiting, which is a good thing for everyone involved. Things are going okay, you sound fine, but the audience looks bored. Some people start talking and texting and doing other things and you keep singing.

But then you hear an opposing voice. Beca. She's singing Bulletproof, loudly overpowering Aubrey and making the number into an unapproved mash up. You know that Aubrey's going to be beyond pissed when all this is over, but you admire Beca for trying to mix things up a little.

Sure enough, the little change Beca opted for sends Aubrey through the roof. She blames her for your loss, even though you think she's the only reason you even placed third. The Trebles win their stupid trophy and you walk dejectedly out into the lobby, where it seems a fight is breaking out. You can't believe what's happening when Beca jumps in, seemingly defending Jesse as she punches some guy. You cross your arms and watch as Fat Amy joins them and everything goes awry. Somehow the trophy breaks, goes cascading across the room, and shatters the glass door nearby. Cue the cops.

You feel helpless as you watch Beca get arrested. You want to follow the cops to the station and plead with them to let her out, but you see Jesse already heading that way. He's apparently got it taken care of, much to your distaste.

"Why don't we go wait up for Beca in her room? They won't keep her overnight." You ask the Bellas, hoping they will agree. And surprisingly, they do. Apparently despite her anger at Beca, Aubrey is impressed by what she did and she agrees to come along.


	5. Chapter 5

It takes hours for her to return and the group occupies themselves by listening to Beca's amazing mixes. When she does get back, she seems surprised that you all waited up for her. You beam at her as everyone admits how badass her actions had been. You can feel her gaze on you and you just offer her a smile, wondering if she and Jesse had progressed any further in their friendship since he picked her up at the station.

But she tells the story of what happened, apparently he had called her father and she got angry with him and told him off. You don't want to feel this way but you feel triumphant somehow. You don't like Beca being upset, but you never liked Jesse and you hope maybe now she'll forget all about him. Sure, that doesn't mean that she likes you, but it's better than seeing her with him.

You all stay with Beca for a while, hanging out and chilling, but the group slowly dwindles down until it's just you, Beca and Aubrey. Aubrey falls asleep and Beca grins at you, pulling her arm around your shoulder.

"It's just you and me now." She says with a drawl, as if you're about to have a classic Western showdown. You smirk and lean your head against her shoulder with a sigh.

"I can't believe we lost." You murmur, disappointed that you won't be in the finals.

"Yeah, neither can I." She's so close to you that you can feel the warmth of her body.

All you'd have to do is lean up to capture her lips in a kiss and when you start seriously considering it, you pull yourself away from her.

"I should probably get Aubrey in bed." You say suddenly, jumping up and grabbing your things. Aubrey lets out a well-timed snore.

Beca nods. "Yeah. Okay. Hey, um, wanna hang out before break? You're probably going on some crazy vacation or something, right?"

Spring break is in a few days and you're planning on returning home for your node surgery. The season's over now so there's no reason not to. You already called your parents after the big loss and told them the news, so they scheduled your appointment. But you don't want to tell Beca something so huge right before you leave and you figure that she'll find out eventually. It doesn't really matter, anyway, does it? It's just a little surgery.

"Nothing crazy. Just visiting my parents." You're not lying; you just left out the surgery bit.

"That's crazy in itself." Beca laughs and you chuckle. "I'll be right here. Manning the campus radio station while everyone's off having fun and sipping margaritas."

"At least you have the whole campus to yourself." You offer lamely as you try to wake Aubrey up. She mutters something about Kuwait and her father and you stop to look at her for a moment. "Aubrey? Wake up; we're going back to our room."

Beca taps you on the shoulder with a giant grin coming over her face. "Oooh. Let me." She says a little bit too eagerly, grabbing a bottle of water from her desk.

She pours some water into her palm and then throws it in Aubrey's face. Your friend coughs and her eyes fly open. She looks at the two of you in confusion.

"What the hell?" She asks, wiping off her face with her sleeve. "Why is my face wet?"

"You fell asleep and drooled** all** over yourself." Beca tells her with a straight face.

Aubrey doesn't question it and so the two of you gather your things and get ready to leave. Before you step out the open door you turn back and give Beca a wry smile.

The next day Aubrey leaves campus for spring break along with most everyone else. You opt to stay and treat Beca to dinner before your drive back home. You spend the afternoon beautifying yourself to a sickening degree, taking a long shower, spending a good while on your hair and makeup and even repainting your nails. It's six when you drop by Beca's room, opening the door without knocking.

"Hey, stranger. You ready?" You ask her and she spins around in her computer chair. She nods before pulling a usb drive from her laptop and thrusting it in your direction.

"I made you a mix. Beca Mitchell exclusive." She grins and you take the drive, extremely flattered that she thought to do that for you.

You thank her, a blush creeping to your cheeks. You lead her toward the campus parking lot where your car is parked, explaining that you're headed out of town after you have dinner.

"Oooh, so we're going somewhere off campus? Fancy." Beca comments, raising her eyebrows at you.

"Hah. Yeah." You murmur, gazing at her for a moment. "I figured it'd be nice to have something different for once."

"I like different." She responds as the two of you approach the parking lot.

"I noticed." You smile and she gestures toward the parking lot, which is pretty devoid of cars since most everyone's already left campus.

"Which one's yours? Wait, let me guess…" She runs ahead of you, stepping close to the cars and examining each of them. You're grinning as you wait for her decision. "The BMW?"

You shake your head in disbelief that she's actually managed to guess which vehicle is yours. She's smirking at you and leaning against your car, waiting for you to admit that it's yours. You roll your eyes.

"Am I really that predictable?"

She nods. "You really should work on that."

Stepping toward her, an idea pops into your mind. You can think of one way you could be unpredictable. Without a word you press her against the car and kiss her on the lips. You pull away moments later, feeling your face flush.

"So did you see that coming?" You ask, trying to seem like it hadn't been a big deal.

Beca stares at you. "No. Can't say I did."

Triumphantly you unlock the car, her eyes still on you. She moves from her position by the driver's side, where you'd just pinned her moments before, and circles the car to make her way to the passenger's side. You slide into the car and plug in your iPod as she gets in beside you. Suddenly, the sound of one of her mixes start playing and she looks over at you.

"Is this my..?"

"Yeah." You admit lamely.

"Cool."

She turns up the volume and you put the key in the ignition, starting the car and pulling out of the lot. The two of you jam to the music on the ride to the restaurant, which is a steakhouse. She whistles when you pull into the parking lot, making a comment about this being a ritzy place. You assure her it's your treat and she tries to argue but you silence her with a determined look. Throwing up her hands, she follows you into the restaurant and you go up to the hostess, letting her know there's two of you. You're shown to your table and you both sit down without saying anything. Instead you're immediately greeted by the waiter and order your drinks before he leaves to get them. Beca gives you an odd look.

"What? Oh, god, you're not a vegetarian or anything are you?" You gasp, wondering if your decision to take her to the steakhouse was a bad idea.

"Huh? No, no. I eat meat." She assures you. "I just didn't expect you to take me somewhere like this. I would have dressed better if I'd known; I mean I look like a bum."

The waiter returns with your drinks and asks if you're ready to order. You tell him honestly that you haven't had time to look at the menu and he offers you a few more minutes to decide. You thank him and then turn back to Beca.

"You don't look like a bum. You look gorgeous." You say matter-of-factly.

Beca sips her coke before thanking you. You both look over your menus and decide on what to eat, and as if on cue, the waiter appears. You order and he goes to put it in the computer, leaving the two of you alone to talk again. The conversation flows well and you begin discussing your classes, home lives, pretty much anything at all, and you're surprised when your food arrives. It didn't feel like it had been very long, but maybe that was because both of you were so into the conversation you didn't notice. You continue to talk over dinner and when you're finished, Beca grins at you.

"Could we maybe share a dessert?" She asks a bit hesitantly, because she knows the dinner is probably expensive and she feels guilty that you're paying. You agree that dessert is a great idea and you order a piece of chocolate cake for you to share.

The cake is absolutely amazing, but once it's gone and the waiter delivers the check, you realize it really is time to end the evening. You still have to drive Beca back and then head home, which is several hours' worth of a drive. Feeling the usb that she gave you in your pocket, you decide you'll load it into your iTunes so you can listen to it on the way home. After receiving your final receipt, you sign it and give a generous tip before grabbing your jacket. You and Beca walk back to the car, shivering as you are subjected to the slight chill in the air.

Turning on the heat, you let the car warm up before you leave the lot.

"This was really cool. I've never really had a girl friend before." She admits and you glance over at her, your heart racing because for a moment you thought she said girlfriend and not girl friend.

"Oh. Really?" You're surprised at this, but now that you think of it you can see why.

Beca's different from most girls—that's why you're so drawn to her—but she probably doesn't like other girls very often, abstaining from the usual petty drama they engage in.

"Well, I'm honored to be your girl friend." You laugh awkwardly at what you've just said and then put the car in reverse, pulling out of your spot.

Neither of you talk much on the ride back. You stop the car at the curb by the dorm, your eyes drifting over to Beca.

"I'll…see you." You offer.

She rolls her eyes and unbuckles her seatbelt, leaning over the console of the car to hug you. You take off your seatbelt and give her a gigantic smile before hugging her tightly.

"Damn. You're stronger than you look." She breathes as you hug her and you let go, embarrassed that you've apparently managed to hurt her with your insane hug grip. "You're just full of surprises tonight. Well, I hope you have a good break, and…" she stops and grabs your phone from the cup holder, pushing a few buttons and then putting it back. "You have my number now. So text me over break, because I'm going to be bored out of my skull."

"Yeah! Of course. I will." You're still beaming from your hug, thrilled she's just given you her number.

You've wanted to text her so many times before and now you can. _Okay, Chloe, calm down,_ you tell yourself as your heart pounds in your chest.

Beca thanks you again for dinner before getting out of the car. She closes the passenger door and you watch her walk up the stairs to the dorm building. Once she's inside, you reach into your back seat and grab your laptop. You find the usb she gave you and plug it in along with your iPod. You quickly add the mix to your library and sync it to your iPod before putting everything away. You start the mix and text your mom, telling her you're on your way.


	6. Chapter 6

The mixes she's given you are even better than the ones you've already heard and you can't help but feel proud she's trusted you with them. You enjoy the drive and are bummed when there's a few more songs than you can play before you get there. But you go ahead and grab your things and go inside. Your parents greet you and you watch television together for a little while before you start to get tired. After witnessing a loud yawn from your mouth, your parents suggest you go to bed. After all, you have the surgery tomorrow. Nodding you give them both hugs and a kiss on the cheek before retiring to your old bedroom.

Once you're settled in bed, you grab your phone and send Beca a text.

_Hey, it's late so sorry if I wake you up, but I just wanted to let you know I made it home okay. Also I listened to the mixes you gave me on the way and they were AMAZING. Seriously. You are ridiculously talented._

You close your eyes and move onto your side, grabbing your purple unicorn stuffed animal and holding it close to you. You're not expecting a response from Beca, but you get one anyway. Holding the phone in your hand, the bright screen lights up the room as you read her text message.

_Glad you made it ok. And thanks. It means a lot. Really. :)_

Her little smiley face seems so out of character that it makes you smile like an idiot and you quickly type out a response.

_Anytime! I'm headed to bed though, so I'll talk to you tomorrow? :)_

Your phone vibrates in your hand and you jump, having been very close to falling asleep.

_Definitely. Goodnight! :)_

With a tired grin, you put your phone on your bedside table and turn over onto your other side. It doesn't take very long for you to fall asleep. When you wake up your mom offers you breakfast and you remind her that you're not supposed to eat because of the surgery. Your stomach is growling, though, and you can only abate it with a glass of water.

You and your family leave for the hospital where the procedure is being done and you can't stop shaking you're so nervous. You really want to text Beca but you can't tell her about what's about to happen because you're afraid she'll get angry with you for not saying something last night. Instead you try to think of other things as you are ushered into the hospital and meet with your doctor. He explains what the surgery is going to be like and within no time, you're being taken to the operating room. You're put out for the procedure, like you begged to be, and so the next thing you know, you're waking up in the hospital bed.

Your throat is hurting and you're afraid to talk, uncertain if you even can at this point. The doctor comes back in to see how you're doing and mentions that you should try your best to abstain from talking today and you nod in agreement, even though the thought of not saying anything all day sounds horrifying to you. He leaves the room and you send your parents in search of the nurses to bring you cold food and drink. You think they'll help the pain in your throat, plus you haven't eaten all day.

Right after your parents leave, your phone goes off. Your heart leaps in your chest because you think maybe it's Beca, but when you look at the message you notice it's from Aubrey. Your eyes dart across the screen, reading her message and you pound your hands on the table in excitement, wishing you could squeal or scream instead. She's just told you that the Bellas are going to nationals due to the disqualification of one of the winning teams.

You send her back a text, feeling a sense of elation but also doubt as you realize what this means. Another competition…and you thought the season was over. If you'd know this was going to happen you would've waited to have surgery until after nationals. What if you can't sing the way you could before?

Despite your internal struggle you manage to send Beca a message telling her the news. You highly doubt Aubrey has, as Beca has been more or less kicked out of the group. She doesn't seem eager about the idea either, because she thinks she's out but you insist to her that if she'll just go to practice when they get back that Aubrey will have to let her back in. You almost let your surgery slip; wanting to tell her that with your solo out of commission, she'll need a strong voice to replace you, but you decide not to. As you continue texting Beca, your parents return with pudding, Jell-O, ice cream and water. You mouth them a thank you and begin your post-surgery feast.

You recuperate over the weeklong break and return to Barden with your voice intact. You go through your scales and realize you can't do some of the upper notes you could before, but for the most part, you'll be able to sing the routine. The Bellas meeting is absolute craziness. You couldn't have predicted it.

When you tell Aubrey you texted Beca, she gets pretty angry. She starts talking about herself and how controlling she is, because she knows it, and you mention that maybe she should let go. So she tries. And upon letting go, vomit spews from her mouth all over the place, sending the other Bellas running for cover while you just stand there watching it happen. You've seen this entirely too many times for it to even faze you anymore. You and Aubrey continue fighting and things are starting to get physical when Beca walks in.

It must look pretty insane; after all, Fat Amy has you and Aubrey in a headlock. She looks shocked at the sight and you all stop what you're doing to look at her, seeing how Aubrey will react. Beca begins her speech, admitting that she really wants to be back in and Aubrey milks it for all it's worth. She takes an excruciatingly long time to agree, but in the end she does, leaving you and everyone else thrilled as hell.

Beca begins talking to you about how she doesn't really know any of you all that well and proposes that you all talk about yourselves. So you all round up the chairs in a circle. The first one to make a confession is Stacie.

"Alright so none of you know this about me but I have a LOT of sex."

None of us are shocked by her confession. It's been obvious since day one and her hoochielicious audition that she's an incredibly sexual being. Beca admits that she's never really had any female friends, something she's already told you, and you smile at her. Cynthia Rose volunteers next and Fat Amy makes offhanded comments about what she's about to say, waiting for the golden moment when the girl admits she's a lesbian. But her actual confession is about her gambling problem, which started when she and her girlfriend broke up. Fat Amy gets way too excited about the addition of a girlfriend, glad she's proven right.

Lilly's confession is out of nowhere — "I ate my twin in the womb" — and all of you are shocked into silence.

Aubrey stands up next, which takes all of you by surprise.

"I actually really hate myself. Like, a lot. I don't mean to be so overbearing and intense and bitchy all the time, but I can't help it. I just wanted to say I'm sorry to all of you for how awful I've been all semester."

Her apology gains several grins and thumbs up and then you decide to make the big reveal. "During break, I had node surgery." A few people gasp, and you explain further.

You admit that you have lost some of your range, but it seems like it will be okay. You all talk for a bit longer before Beca starts talking about the routine and some ideas she has for it. She leads all of you outside to the pool from the Riff Off and asks you to do the honors. Apparently she's got an idea to mash up Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are with…something else. She doesn't say. And so you begin to sing the song, per her request, with the girls singing backup.

_Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining_

You smile as you sing because your voice sounds good, and Beca's looking at you with this huge grin on her face. Your heart beats faster when you look at her eyes and think about the lyrics and how much this song actually reminds you of her.

_And her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying  
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day_

It's true, you've told Beca that she's beautiful more than once…and the thing about her hair has a grain of truth too. As you're about to sing the next line, Beca starts to sing the other song that she's mashing this one up with.

_Uh, I was thinking 'bout her, thinking 'bout me_

You continue your own song.

_I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me_

And she's singing with you, and you sound absolutely flawless.

_Thinkin' 'bout us, what we gon' be  
Open my eyes, yeah, it was only just a dream  
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see  
But every time she asks me "do I look okay?"_

You and Beca are close to each other as you sing, your eyes burning into one another's, reminding you of your last duet together in the shower.

_It was only just a dream  
I say_  
_When I see your face  
So I travelled back, down that road_

You can feel your whole body buzzing with joy at how great you sound and the tingling sensations you're getting from Beca's entire existence.

_There's not a thing that I would change  
Will she come back, no one knows  
'Cause you're amazing  
I realize, it was only just a dream_

The songs work so well together that you're absolutely floored. It makes the most beautiful love song, although you think with the two of you singing it like this, that the song sounds remarkably gay. Not that you mind.

_Just the way you are  
Only just a dream  
'Cause you're amazing  
It was only just a dream  
Just the way you are_

The two songs continue in tandem for a bit longer and then you're done, breathing hard as you look at the girls around you. The songs flowed so perfectly together and singing a duet with Beca has made you feel a bit lightheaded. She only makes matters worse by giving you a hug, excited that her idea worked out. All of you put your hands in and sing your note, and a horrible deep note comes from your mouth. Everyone looks at you in surprise but Beca just remarks that you can use that in the competition, making you feel a bit less embarrassed by whatever that weird baritone note had been.


	7. Chapter 7

The next week or so is spent practicing even more than usual. You have to overhaul the routine and come up with a completely new one, which is no easy task. But once all the songs are chosen, it seems like you are ready to go. The day of nationals causes all of you to be a bundle of nerves, but despite them you're all excited to share your new routine. The mash up is a brave undertaking, as it includes a total of six songs. But you believe they do work really well together and you sound absolutely amazing, each of you having the opportunity to showcase your voices. After you leave the stage and the next group gets ready to perform, you see Beca running into the audience. She's found Jesse and you watch them as they start kissing. Three times their lips meet and you can feel your stomach getting sick.

Aubrey's standing beside you and she puts her arm around your shoulder.

"You win some, you lose some. My offer still stands." You don't think she realizes just how much you've fallen for Beca and how upset you are seeing her kiss him.

You don't say anything and turn around, your blue eyes filling with tears.

"No, Chloe, don't—god, you really like her, don't you?" You nod and bite your lip to hold back the sob that is threatening to escape you.

It's too late now. You don't know why you even bothered to entertain the notion that you would even have a chance.

"Don't worry. I have an idea. You're going to win her back." You can't believe Aubrey's suggestion. She's actually willing to help you?

You all celebrate your win and you try your very best to stay away from Beca. She tries to talk to you and you keep it short. She looks taken aback by your lack of enthusiasm, probably wondering what she did to make you so upset. Beca returns to her dorm and Aubrey talks to the girls alone, having an idea that she wants to discuss with them. You stand there and listen to her speech, knowing your face is bright red as she tells them about your hidden feelings for your fellow Bella.

"Alright girls, so the thing is, Chloe's got it bad for Beca. For real. She's liked her all semester, and she's been too much a pussy to make her move. And Jesse moved in on her and she's given up! Can you believe that?" Aubrey exclaims.

"I…" You don't know quite what to say.

Cynthia Rose shakes her head. "No, I can't. Damn, girl. You're really gonna let a girl as cool and hot as Beca go? You're dumber than you look."

You're a little offended by her comment.

"Wait a minute, you're serious?" Fat Amy's voice rings out. "You actually want to be with her? Like in a lesbian, let's-eat-each-other-out for hours sort of way?" Your cheeks are burning but you nod.

"Aw! That's cute!" Stacie responds with a grin. "I've never been with a girl. What's it like?"

You don't answer because you've never been with a girl either. Everyone looks at Cynthia Rose, who mutters "I ain't sayin' nothin'."

"Okay, so my thought was that we could all show up at Beca's dorm room and sing Jessie's Girl to her. Well, like, we'll do backup and Chloe will sing lead, obviously." Aubrey's idea is pretty cheesy, but you still think maybe it might be good enough to work. A big gesture would show Beca how much you really do like her.

"That's not bad. But why don't we put it with another song, like we've been doing?" Stacie recommends. Everyone shouts out song suggestions.

Your face lights up. "I know exactly what song would be good."

As cool as the idea is, you can't believe you're actually going through with it. You and the rest of the Bellas make your way to Beca's dorm room and you knock on the door. She answers it looking confused.

"Just hear us out!" Fat Amy yells from behind you and Beca widens her eyes, uncertain of what is going on.

She crosses her arms and stands in the doorway, waiting for you to say something. You take a deep breath and the girls start singing backup music. But it's Aubrey who starts it off.

_Jesse is a friend  
Yeah I know he's been a good friend of mine_

She makes a face, because obviously she and Jesse aren't friends. Beca just stares at all of you in disbelief, recognizing the song and trying to figure out why on earth you're singing it to her.

_But lately something's changed  
It ain't hard to define  
Jesse's got himself a girl  
And I want to make her mine_

Cynthia Rose and Stacie jump in.

_And she's watching him with those eyes_

You can feel those eyes on you right now. It's time to debut your choice to mix up with the song. It's Ne-Yo's Let Me Love You, and you think it suits your feelings pretty well. The rest of the girls continue to sing Jessie's Girl and you interrupt.

_Much as you blame yourself, you can't be blamed for the way that you feel  
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it  
Had no example of a love that was even remotely real  
And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night  
Oooh, baby, if you let me, I can help you out with all of that  
You know I wish that I had Jesse's girl_

Beca seems to get it now and she's leaning against the doorframe, watching you with an unreadable expression on her face. Your heart is pounding louder than ever and you're shaking but you keep going.

_Girl let me love you  
I wish that I had Jesse's girl  
And I will love you  
Where can I find her, a woman like that?  
Until you learn to love yourself_

When you get the end of the chorus you stop suddenly and the girls do shortly after. You haven't really practiced what happens afterward and it's totally silent as Beca looks at you and the Bellas look at you both.

"I'm not Jesse's girl." She says finally, a grin coming to her lips. "But I have to say, I'm really flattered. You did all this for me?" She asks you, stepping forward and holding out a hand for you. You nod and take her hand, moving shyly ahead. "I had a feeling you were crushing on me. But I thought maybe I was just being ego-centric."

"I, um. I'm not very good with big speeches or trying to explain my feelings, which is why I thought it was best to do it through song." You begin, feeling her squeeze your hand, which seems to restart your heart. "But I do really, really, like you. A lot. I guess you could say I started falling for you a long time ago, and I've never liked someone this much. I've never liked a girl before. But that doesn't matter to me. I don't expect anything from you, Beca. I'm just really glad I met you and that we got to spend so much time together. It's been great being friends. I just couldn't stand idly by and not admit to how I felt. I didn't want to lie to you."

Beca nods, squeezing your hand again.

"I know you don't expect anything from me. That's what I like so much about you, Chloe. Jesse's a good guy and all, but he had all these expectations. He treated me like I was his property, like he needed to protect me and fight all my battles and we weren't even together. I guess when we won, I was happy and I needed to share that happiness with someone, and so I kissed him. But right after that, he started acting like he was my boyfriend and…" She sighs, running her thumb across the top of your hand. "I didn't like that. And now I'm realizing the person I should have been kissing was you."

"Really?" Fat Amy asks before you can muster a response. "Is this really happening?"

"What she said." You say quietly, gesturing to Amy.

Beca looks at you and then the girls and then back to you.

"Okay see, I'm going to kiss her now. I was going to ask you all to turn around but I don't give a shit anymore." She smirks and drops your hand, putting her hands on your hips.

She leans in and she brings your lips together in a kiss. Several of the girls gasp and then they start clapping. You ignore them and pull your arms around Beca's neck, closing your eyes as you kiss her back. You can't believe this is really happening, it feels just like a dream.

As you two finally pull apart, the Bellas are all grinning at you.

"So, we're gonna go and give you two some alone time." Stacie says suddenly, linking her arm in Lilly's and beginning to walk down the hall.

Cynthia Rose laughs. "You guys have fun and if you need any help, you've got my number." She raises her eyebrows suggestively before following the other two.

Aubrey beams at both of you, proud her work paid off.


	8. Chapter 8

When it's just you and Beca, you realize that you don't know what's supposed to happen next. Is she wanting you to stay over or are you supposed to go back to your room? Your question is answered when she pulls you into the dorm room, closing and locking the door behind you. She leans against the wooden door and looks at you seductively.

"It's no big deal, right?" She asks, peeling off her jacket and dropping it to the floor. "I mean, you've already seen me naked." Her shirt comes off next and she stares at you as if asking you to make a move. "Only difference is, this time you can touch me."

That sends you toward her. You press her against the door, kissing her lips more fiercely than before, now that you're not being watched. She kisses you back, tangling her fingers in your hair. Your fingers move to unbutton her jeans and you pull away from her lips and ask if she's sure this is what she wants. She silences you with another kiss, pushing against you and moving you to the bed. As you drop onto her bed, you gaze up into her eyes, remembering the first time your eyes met.

Beca pulls down her jeans and begins to work on removing your clothes as well, until finally, the two of you are as naked as the day you sang in the shower together. Her lips move to your neck and your breath hitches in your throat at the contact.

"You're beautiful." She tells you as she hovers above you, stroking your cheek. "I'm ridiculously happy right now."

"Me too." Her head falls onto your chest and she positions her ear near where your heart is located.

You're embarrassed because you know she's hearing your heart beat, which sounds like you're going into cardiac arrest right now.

"I can tell." She grins, placing a kiss where her ear had been moments before.

Her hands move across your body, her fingers gliding across the top of your breasts. You let out a wavery breath and she smirks.

"I like this. The sounds you make. I'd like to record them and put them in one of my mixes…"

As you open your mouth to protest, her mouth closes over your nipple. You're unable to stifle a moan. Her hand slides between your thighs, hovering over your most sensitive area. You know you're bound to be worked up already; you've liked her for months.

As her fingers tease your entrance, Beca doesn't speak anymore. Instead she reunites your mouths, kissing you with vigor as she slides inside of you. You moan against her lips at the unbelievable sensation.

After she's gotten you off, Beca admits she's slept with a girl before. You beg her not to tell details for fear of extreme jealousy, focusing on returning the favor she had just given to you. You're surprised by how well you do at giving oral sex, but you figure it must be your musical training that makes you so good at doing things with your mouth.

The two of you lay in her bed together, the covers pulled up around your bodies. Her head is on your chest again and she moves her head up to look at you.

"I didn't expect this _at all_." Her voice is remarkably quieter than usual.

You smile at the comment before bringing your lips up to kiss her temple.

"I'm not so predictable after all, am I?"


End file.
